Patrick Barclay: Settle the nerves? This result will just make things worse, Arsene

Thursday 13 February 2014 11:49 BST

It must have been galling for Fulham supporters, contemplating what now seems a likely end to top-division status after 13 years, to have woken this morning to the sight and sound of perceived troubles at such relatively buoyant clubs as Arsenal and Manchester United. But that’s show business in the Premier League style.

Anguish is part of it — even in this most thrilling of seasons — whether a club are facing relegation or not. To judge from what passed for the atmosphere at the Emirates last night, you’d have thought Arsenal were seeking to avoid the drop rather than win the League. And the trouble was that the fans seemed to be taking their cue from the manager and his team. You expect the nerves to be transmitted in the opposite direction.

Arsene Wenger was entitled to explain that his men, chastened by their thrashing at Anfield, were “highly focused not to concede and that maybe restricted our game going forward a little bit”. But what’s wrong with doing both, as Liverpool so expertly did on Saturday?

That’s the Liverpool who now threaten to move above Arsenal, leaving the former League leaders to worry about even Tottenham and a derby at White Hart Lane in mid-March that could, conceivably, be about who will take fourth place and the quasi-trophy — as Wenger rightly regards it — of Champions League eligibility.

To think of Arsenal as potential champions one minute and an endangered elite species the next may seem daft and, given that their perennial tendency under Wenger is to recover from moments of disillusion, they may yet end their wait for a trophy; in theory they can still win three. But last night was perturbing.

It was as if Wenger had made a slip of the tongue during his pre-match talk to the players, for they performed as if facing Manchester City, not Manchester United. To seek to share spoils with fellow title candidates, to sacrifice a couple of points in the interests of keeping rivals below them, would have made some sense. But what was the advantage in drawing at home with a team who had just been held on their own ground by Fulham?

There was no Jose Mourinho to blame for the scoreless outcome this time (and it could have been worse but for Wojciech Szczesny’s triumph in a duel with Robin van Persie). There were no excuses at all for a result more worrying than when Chelsea came to the Emirates just before Christmas, and it can hardly settle the nerves to which Wenger alluded; it can only make them more aware of the dangers.

Liverpool were once again ominous at Craven Cottage. But for Kolo Toure’s freak own-goal, they would have won more comfortably than through Steven Gerrard’s late penalty. It will be interesting to see if Brendan Rodgers sends out a full-strength side at the Emirates in the FA Cup on Sunday — and whether Wenger at last accepts that he must define his priorities in order to maintain the momentum creditably achieved this season.

Olivier Giroud needs a rest most of all. The centre-forward has an admirable attitude to the game, never hiding, and deserves better than to be left alone to miss chances with his tired head and legs. Lukas Podolski could have replaced any of the shot-shy midfielders against United and must get his chance against Liverpool.

I still feel Chelsea can bring the title back to London. But they may lose a neighbour in poor Fulham, for whom relegation would be all the more bitter if QPR came up. Fulham’s improved spirit may not be enough to save Rene Meulensteen. The season has two strands: excitement at the top and panic at the bottom and Shahid Khan may try a second push of the button. It’s tough, show business.

369 goals in 357 matches for Barca — no, it’s not Messi…

The Philippines, though as populous as England and Spain combined, is not much of a football country.

Even the rise of the national team, featuring a few players with English fathers and Filipina mothers, to a heady — and unprecedented — 127th in the world has made little difference.

Most of the 100 million inhabitants prefer basketball.

And, asked to name a famous Filipino footballer, you might struggle unless you supported Ascot United, for whom Rob Gier was playing in the Hellenic League when he earned the first of his 50 caps in 2009. Or Barcelona, because it was from the Philippines that arguably their greatest goalscorer came.

Paulino Alcantara Riestra died 50 years ago today. The first Asian to play in Europe, he had been born in 1896 to a Spanish military officer and his Filipana wife, who moved to Barcelona around the time of the club’s formation by Joan Gamper.

Alcantara made his debut aged 15 and scored the first three goals in a 9-0 victory. A star was born.

A year later, Alcantara had helped Barcelona to win the Copa del Rey and, when he retired at 31 to concentrate on being a doctor, having represented Catalonia and Spain as well as the Philippines, his goals total stood at 369 in 357 matches, despite an attempt by English manager Jack Greenwell — bizarre in retrospect — to convert him into a defender.

During the Spanish Civil War, Alcantara fought on the fascist side — given his military upbringing, it was not surprising — and he remained politically active for most of his life.

Alcantara died 11 years before the Franco regime ended with the Generalissimo’s own death in 1975.

However, when a biography of Alacantara came out last year, it was published in Catalan and his memory is still cherished by the football club.

Although rated the most distinguished Asian player of all time, he was only half-Asian.

But he wasn’t half good — and merits a salute on both sides of the world.

It’s Terry unlikely…

So that’s the issue of John Terry and England settled. “As far as I’m concerned, retirement is retirement,” said Roy Hodgson. Which does, of course, leave it up to the Chelsea captain, should he crave a World Cup role, to change his mind and ask to be considered. It’s not going to happen, is it? And the manager’s handling of the situation — “We’ve got along without him…” — must have been music to the ears of those who got England to Brazil.

Silly side of Sturridge

Even as Daniel Sturridge expertly scored at Fulham last night, there was a hint as to why Manchester City and Chelsea let him go. Instead of thanking Steven Gerrard for the pass of the season, he had thoughts only for his silly dance celebration. Gerrard, who likes a bit of a bask himself, had to go and hug the England striker to obtain even a token share of the glory. Seriously, Sturridge is a brilliant player. But he can be annoying.